VIRTUAL Public Art Documentary Film Series: Jean-Michel Basquiat – The Radiant Child

Discover inspiring and thought-provoking cinema at the 2021 Palm Desert Public Art Documentary Film Series. The free, art-themed documentary series continues February 11 with an online screening of Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child.

In his short career, Jean-Michel Basquiat was a phenomenon. He became notorious for his graffiti art under the moniker Samo in the late 1970s on the Lower East Side scene, sold his first painting to Deborah Harry for $200, and became best friends with Andy Warhol. Appreciated by both the art cognoscenti and the public, Basquiat was launched into international stardom. However, his cult status soon began to override the art that had made him famous in the first place. Director Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary, but also delves into Basquiat as an iconoclast. His dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work emerged while minimalist, conceptual art was the fad; as a successful black artist, he was constantly confronted by racism and misconceptions. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is Basquiat’s own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man.

The 2021 documentary film series is presented by the City of Palm Desert Public Art Department and the University of California, Riverside Palm Desert Center. Register online in advance through the UCR Palm Desert Events website. You’ll receive emailed links to screen the documentary in advance on Vimeo, as well as a link to join the Zoom discussion about the film at the scheduled date and time.

For more information and to register online, visit the palmdesert.ucr.edu/events-programs website.